Heuchera plant named ‘Miracle’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Heuchera  of hybrid origin, ‘Miracle’, that is characterized by its small to medium sized, ruffled, ovate-shaped leaves with unique coloration that changes throughout the growing season. In the spring and fall with cool temperatures, the leaves have red mottled centers with yellow-green margins and veins. In the summer, the leaves become greener with a silvery overlay. ‘Miracle’ is further characterized by its mounded and compact plant habit, its hardiness at least in U.S.D.A Zones 4 to 9, its tolerance to heat and humidity, its vigorous growth habit, and its spikes of pink flowers in late spring to early summer.

Botanical classification: Heuchera hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Miracle’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant Patent applications filedfor sibling plants derived from the same cross in the inventor'sbreeding program that are entitled Heuchera Plant Named ‘Beaujolais’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,577), Heuchera Plant Named ‘Encore’ ((U.S. PlantPat. No. 19,578), Heuchera Plant Named ‘Pinot Gris’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.19,592), Heuchera Plant Named ‘Pinot Noir’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 12/002,889), Heuchera ‘Tiramisu’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 12/002,921) and Heuchera Plant Named ‘Pistache’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,585).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybridHeuchera, botanically known as a Heuchera of hybrid origin and ishereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Miracle’.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding program by theinventor in Hantay, France. The inventor made a cross in summer of 2005between Heuchera ‘Gloire d'Orleans’ (not patented, syn.Heuchera×brizoides ‘Gloire d'Orleans’) and Heuchera×villosa ‘Caramel’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,560). The goal of the breeding program was toobtain unique cultivars of Heuchera that combined the flowering habit of‘Gloire d'Orleans’ with the vigor and unique foliage coloration ofHeuchera×villosa. The inventor selected ‘Miracle’ in 2007 as a singleunique plant amongst the seedlings that resulted from the above cross.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished underdirection of the inventor by in vitro propagation in Rijswijk, TheNetherlands in winter of 2007. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivarby division and tissue culture has shown that the unique features arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Miracle’ as a new and unique cultivar of Heuchera.

-   -   1. ‘Miracle’ exhibits uniquely colored foliage with leaves that        changes coloration throughout the season and with the        temperature of the growing conditions. In the spring, the leaves        are yellow-green with centers mottled with red with yellow-green        margins and veins. In the summer, the leaves become green with a        silvery overlay. In the fall with cool temperatures, the leaves        once again develop red mottled centers with yellow-green margins        and veins.    -   2. ‘Miracle’ exhibits medium to small sized, somewhat ruffled,        ovate shaped leaves.    -   3. ‘Miracle’ exhibits a mounded and compact plant habit.    -   4. ‘Miracle’ is hardy in at least U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.    -   5. ‘Miracle’ exhibits a vigorous growth habit.    -   6. ‘Miracle’ exhibits tolerant to heat and humidity.    -   7. ‘Miracle’ exhibits compound spikes of pink flowers in late        spring to early summer.

‘Miracle’ is a unique Heuchera with foliage coloration that is unknownto exist in other cultivars of Heuchera known to the inventor. ‘Miracle’differs from its parent plants in that ‘Caramel’ is a ×villosa hybridand has foliage that is more orange in color and lacks red mottling andGloire d'Orleans is a ×brizoides hybrid with green foliage.

‘Miracle’ can be compared most closely compared to its sibling,‘Tiramisu’, for its similar leaf form and coloration, however ‘Miracle’differs in having smaller more ruffled leaves, leaves that become moregreen in summer (less yellow), in having a more vigorous growth habitand in having pink flowers rather than white. The closest comparisonplants in overall leaf shape, habit, and performance are other siblingcultivars that differ in foliage coloration; ‘Beaujolais’ hasburgundy-red leaves overlaid with silver, ‘Encore’ has rose-purpleleaves, ‘Pinot Gris’ has leaves that emerge orange-yellow and mature toa rose color with a silvery overlay, ‘Pinot Noir’ has dark purple-grayleaves with a silver overlay, and ‘Pistache’ has yellow-green leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Heuchera. The photographs weretaken of two year-old plants as grown outdoors in two-gallon containersin the inventor's nursery in Hantay, France.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant of ‘Miracle’and depicts foliage coloration that is typical in spring.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the spring foliageof ‘Miracle’ with the lower leaves changing over to its summercoloration.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a comparison between ‘Tiramisu’ (left)and ‘Miracle’ (right).

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Heuchera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of a 6 month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown with 2 plants in a 5-liter containers outdoors inThe Netherlands. The plants were grown under average day temperatures of10° to 25° C. and average night temperatures of 3° to 14° C. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with the 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, clump-forming herbaceous perennial,            mounded foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about a height of about 12 cm in            height (30 cm in bloom) and about 20 cm in width in a            5-liter container.        -   Blooming period.—Late spring to early summer.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.        -   Culture.—Full sun to medium shade in moist, well-drained,            fertile soils with tolerance to heat and humidity.        -   Diseases and pests.—Disease free in the conditions tested,            no susceptibility or resistance to pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots on woody rootstalks.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes of leaves on petioles.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method.        -   Root initiation.—Roots appear in rooting media in 10 days at            20° C. in the laboratory without supplemental lighting.        -   Root development.—Rooted transplants from tissue culture            fully develop at least a 9 cm container in about 20 weeks in            a greenhouse with average temperatures of about 20° C.            without supplemental lighting in The Netherlands.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous relative to most Heuchera cultivars.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Broadly ovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Hastate, moderately overlapping.        -   Leaf apex.—Abruptly acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Laciniate, conspicuous on spring and fall            foliage with upper surface N144B in color and lower surface            145C in color.        -   Leaf margins.—Lobed with average of 7 lobes per leaf, lobe            margins crenate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal rosettes.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held horizontal to petiole, ruffled.        -   Leaf surface.—Dull on upper and lower surface and slightly            rough to touch; upper and lower surface is very sparsely            covered with hairs about 0.5 mm in length and 155C in color.        -   Leaf color.—Upper surface, spring and fall; N144C with            mottling on leaf centers of 166B to 174B with blotches near            margins and veins 151A to 151 C and margins N144C, lower            surface, spring and fall; 177D with blotches near margins            and veins 145A to 145B, upper surface, summer; changes to            144B to 145A with small darker blotches near main veins in            center 152B to 152D, lower surface, summer; changes to 145A            to 145B with small darker blotches near main veins in center            152D.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 7 cm in length and 6.2 cm in width.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 65 per 5-liter container.        -   Petioles.—Round in shape, average length of 9.5 cm; average            diameter of 3 mm, 145A to 145B in color with base tinged            182B to 182D, surface is glabrous.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Numerous small bell-shaped flowers            arranged on pyramidal panicles on flower scapes emerging            from the base of the rosette, each peduncle has 2 pairs of            lateral thryses and a terminal flower (compound spikes).        -   Inflorescence size.—Reaches an average of 30 cm in height            and about 4 cm in width in full bloom.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower quantity.—Average of 60 flowers per inflorescence.        -   Flower lastingness.—Average of 7 days per flower, individual            panicles bloom for about 3 weeks, flowers self cleaning.        -   Flower buds.—Broadly elliptic to slightly obovate, average            of 2.5 mm in diameter and 4 mm in depth, color is 62C to 62D            flushed with 146D and basal portion 144C.        -   Flower aspect.—Held slightly downward (drooping) on pedicels            held at about a 45° angle from peduncle.        -   Flower shape.—Campanulate, with base implanted in hypanthium            where sepals, petals and filaments are fused.        -   Flower size.—Average of 6 mm in diameter and depth.        -   Petals.—About 5, narrowly elliptic in shape and emerge from            between sepals in hypanthium, margin is entire, apex is            narrowly apiculate, about 4 mm in length and 0.8 mm in            width, upper and lower surface is glabrous and dull, color            of upper and lower surface when opening is 62D, color of            upper and lower surface when fully open is a color between            62D and N155B, color of both surfaces fades to N155B.        -   Calyx.—Campanulate, sepals fused in hypanthium, 6 mm in            diameter and 5 mm in depth.        -   Sepals.—5, unfused portion is broadly oblong in shape,            average of 5 mm in length and 2.5 mm in width, margin is            entire, apex is broadly acute, base is fused, surface very            villose, color of upper surface when opening; 62C with base            144C, color of lower surface when opening; 62C flushed with            146D with base 144C, color of upper surface when fully open;            62C to 63D with base 144C, color of lower surface when            opening; 62C flushed with 144C with base 146A to 146B.        -   Rachis (flower scape).—Average of 29.5 cm in length and 1.5            mm in width, color is 152A to 152B, surface is pilose, held            at about a 15° angle from vertical.        -   Peduncles.—Average of 1.3 cm in length and of 0.5 mm in            width, pilose surface, 152A to 152B in color, held at about            a 80° angle from vertical.        -   Pedicels.—Average of 4 mm in length and about 0.5 mm in            width, pilose surface, 152A to 152B in color, held at about            a 45° angle to peduncle.        -   Gynoecium.—2 Pistils, club-shaped, about 4 mm in length,            stigmas minute and 157D in color, styles are continuous with            superior ovary, about 3.5 mm in length and 157B to 157C in            color, ovary is 144C in color.        -   Androcoecium.—Average of 5 stamens, anthers are ovate in            shape, basifixed, about 0.4 mm in length and 64A in color,            filaments are about 0.6 mm in length and N155B to N155C in            color, no pollen was detected.        -   Seed.—Seed development of the new cultivar has not been            observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Miracle’ asherein illustrated and described.